Eagles Fly South To Take On Undefeated Carolina Panthers
By Kevin McGuire
Coming off a Monday night victory over the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles get set for a second straight primetime nationally televised showdown. This time they take the show on the road to take on the undefeated Carolina Panthers. The Eagles handed the Panthers a loss last year in Philadelphia, can they clean up their mistakes and do it again this season?
Season Record
The Panthers enter the week with a clean 5-0 record. On Sunday the Panthers held off the two-time defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks in a 27-23 victory in Seattle. The Panthers have also picked up wins against struggling teams like Jacksonville, Houston, New Orleans and Tampa Bay.
The Eagles own a 6-2 all-time record against the Panthers dating back to 1996. The Eagles won last year's meeting with the Panthers in Philadelphia where Chip Kelly picked up some small revenge on Cam Newton, whose Auburn Tigers denied Kelly's Oregon Ducks a BCS national title a few years ago. The two franchises have played in Charlotte three times, and the Eagles have won two of those three games. The only blemish the Eagles took at Carolina was in a 33-7 blowout loss in 1999.
The most notable game between the two, of course, was the 2004 NFC Championship Game in Lincoln Financial Field. The Panthers defense dismantled Philadelphia's offense in a 14-3 victory to advance to the Super Bowl. The loss inspired the Eagles to go all in and add Terrell Owens to the offense that offseason.
Panthers on Offense
The strength of the Panthers has been the running game. The NFL's third-ranked rushing offense is grinding out 132.8 yards per game with Jonathan Stewart's team-leading 298 rushing yards. He has scored just two rushing touchdowns while quarterback Cam Newton leads the team with three. Newton's 225 rushing yards have been key as well, because his passing production leaves something to be desired. The former Heisman Trophy winner and number one overall draft pick is completing 55.4 percent of his passes for 1,078 yards and eight touchdowns; he has been picked off four times. While Newton's pass efficiency leaves room for improvement, he is still having a better overall season than Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has been the biggest target for Newton, leading the team with 374 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has been a solid contributor as well with 224 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Panthers on Defense
Scoring points on the Panthers has been difficult, although it should also be pointed out the level of competition faced so far. Carolina has allowed just 18.8 points per game through the first five games of the season. That average is brought down by allowing just nine points to the Jaguars in Week 1. Three straight opponents have scored at least 22 points on Carolina.
The pressure starts up front with 13.0 sacks so far, about the league average. The defense has also picked off eight passes, the same number the Eagles defense has so far. Two of those picked off passes have gone for touchdowns, suggesting Carolina is capable of making some big plays if Bradford is not careful throwing the football. Josh Norman has recorded both pick-sixes for Carolina. Norman has picked off four passes so far.
Carolina's Players to Watch
Quarterback Cam Newton: Newton was able to make some things happen against the Eagles defense last season with 306 passing yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted three times. The Eagles also limited Newton to just six rushing yards. Containing Newton would see the Eagles repeat last year's success.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly: In his fourth season, the Boston College linebacker continues to provide a steady force in the middle of the field for Carolina's defense. Bradford needs to know where Kuechly is at all times.
Outlook
Coming off a sloppy performance against the Giants on Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles have much to clean up in a short week before heading to Charlotte. The Panthers are due for a loss and the Eagles have the potential to be the first to serve them their first. The Panthers will certainly be confident having picked up a rare win in Seattle and hosting the Eagles in primetime Sunday night. If the Eagles are not careful with the football, which they were not against New York, the Panthers can make them pay for mistakes and missed opportunities in a big way.
Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
